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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Zach is reading this series and he really likes them, but it was hard for me to follow at times. Between Walt talking and seeing dead Cheyenne Indians and the hunt for the serial killer of awful people it was a good story overall. Not my cup of tea, but was a good story in general.
I really loved this book. A must read! Not only is it set in Wyoming, Craig Johnson is a fantastic author. All of the details that he adds to the story and the characters brings so much more depth without being overwhelming. The ending made my heart hurt. I didn't want that character to be the "badguy". I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Craig Johnson's first Walt Longmire novel is a straight forward murder mystery that does a great job of showing cultures both clashing and meshing. Longmire is likable and believable. He is far from perfect and isn't a "super cop" like so many protagonists. The supporting cast is fantastic and the county itself qualifies there. While the outcome was a bit of a swerve for me I had no problems with it. Overall, a really good introduction to these down to earth characters.
Pretty solid and enjoyable first book in the series. I enjoyed the main character and all his supporting characters. The plot meandered a bit too much much, though. I mean, I like a good back story and atmosphere but this spent an awful lot of time on other stuff. But I enjoyed the other stuff well enough to look forward to the second book.
I am not sure I believe the final showdown with the murderer though. It seemed like an awfully random to place for it to happen as if it were planned. And it got a bit too mystical and new age-y for me in a few parts too.
But otherwise, a really fine read with some pretty funny lines and some great characters I am anxious to meet again. I started the TV series, but I don't think the first season is this book, so I am afraid of spoilers for other books, so I stopped. Oh, and the narration by George Guidall was top notch!
I am not sure I believe the final showdown with the murderer though. It seemed like an awfully random to place for it to happen as if it were planned. And it got a bit too mystical and new age-y for me in a few parts too.
But otherwise, a really fine read with some pretty funny lines and some great characters I am anxious to meet again. I started the TV series, but I don't think the first season is this book, so I am afraid of spoilers for other books, so I stopped. Oh, and the narration by George Guidall was top notch!
Walt Longmire is the sheriff of Absaroka County in Wyoming, a place where everyone knows your name and probably your business. Walt's been a widower for three...no four years now. His home is worse than a bachelor pad, his deputy Vic is forever giving him a hard time about being overweight, and there's mouse droppings on his cooking utensils.
Despite the fact that Walt's life seems to be in a shambles, the people of Absaroka County like Walt, especially his good friend and Cheyenne Indian Henry Standing Bear. As a matter of fact, there's a small conspiracy going on between Henry, Cady (Walt's adult daughter), and Ruby (Walt's strong-willed secretary) to coax Walt back into the swing of life.
But a murder throws a wrench in that plan. Cody Pritchard, Jacob and George Esper and Brian Keller were convicted a few years earlier of raping and assaulting a young Cheyenne Indian girl, Melissa, who suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The were convicted by served measly sentences. Many people in the community and on the Cheyenne Reservation were disgusted with the outcome of the trial, and the outcome haunts Walt. So, when Cody Pritchard winds up shot to death and shortly thereafter Jacob succumbs to the same fate, Walt has to figure out who of the multitude of suspects is behind the murders and protect both George and Brian from ending up like Cody and Jacob. The hardest part for Walt is the fact that Henry, Melissa's "uncle", is a prime suspect.
Had there been no plot to this story whatsoever, I probably would have been mesmerized all the same. The characters are some of the richest I've seen in a long time. By the time I reached the end of the novel, I wanted to go live in Absaroka County with them! Walt is just plain fun. There's no question why his constituents like him. He's kind and fair and aims to do the "right" thing. He's not perfect, and his altercation with Turk highlights that. Turk assaulted Jules, an old drunk man, while putting Jules in jail for peeing on him. Walt simply lost his control and assaulted Turk. While his actions are ironic, I had trouble feeling any sympathy for Turk. But Ruby was furious with Walt and even threatened to quit because she was disgusted with his behavior. And Walt was embarrassed for it. Me, I was cheering for him!
I love Walt, but I often have a special affinity for the supporting character in a duo-type story. I'm very fond of Henry in this book. He is an incredibly rich character. His sarcastic humor is phenomenal. I was almost in tears laughing at various parts in this novel, and they usually involved something Henry was saying. And Henry often ends up being the sarcastic voice of reason when Walt starts getting carried away.
All the characters in this novel are fascinating: Vic, Lucien, Omar, Jules, Ruby, George, Vonnie, Dena, Melissa and Lonnie Little Bird...yes, it is so. Johnson has a knack for breathing realism into his characters and bringing them to life for the reader. Their interactions with each other add a whole additional level of complexity to the novel. In and of themselves they would each be great characters but the relationships between them make them extraordinary characters.
But characterization isn't his only skill. Absaroka County is a tiny little place in Wyoming where very little out of the ordinary happens. This fact is reinforced when Vic is giving her crime updates to Walt at various times throughout the novel.
The element I enjoyed the most was the intertwining of the Cheyenne Indian culture. I've always been fascinated by mythologies. So, I thought Chapter 12 was beyond brilliant. It was moving and it carried a completely different tone than the rest of the novel. There was obvious and utter respect emanating from this chapter.
I was entranced for the entire chapter, more accurately the remainder of the book. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think. I loved it. I just simply can't say enough wonderful things to do this book justice. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend you do so.
Despite the fact that Walt's life seems to be in a shambles, the people of Absaroka County like Walt, especially his good friend and Cheyenne Indian Henry Standing Bear. As a matter of fact, there's a small conspiracy going on between Henry, Cady (Walt's adult daughter), and Ruby (Walt's strong-willed secretary) to coax Walt back into the swing of life.
But a murder throws a wrench in that plan. Cody Pritchard, Jacob and George Esper and Brian Keller were convicted a few years earlier of raping and assaulting a young Cheyenne Indian girl, Melissa, who suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The were convicted by served measly sentences. Many people in the community and on the Cheyenne Reservation were disgusted with the outcome of the trial, and the outcome haunts Walt. So, when Cody Pritchard winds up shot to death and shortly thereafter Jacob succumbs to the same fate, Walt has to figure out who of the multitude of suspects is behind the murders and protect both George and Brian from ending up like Cody and Jacob. The hardest part for Walt is the fact that Henry, Melissa's "uncle", is a prime suspect.
Had there been no plot to this story whatsoever, I probably would have been mesmerized all the same. The characters are some of the richest I've seen in a long time. By the time I reached the end of the novel, I wanted to go live in Absaroka County with them! Walt is just plain fun. There's no question why his constituents like him. He's kind and fair and aims to do the "right" thing. He's not perfect, and his altercation with Turk highlights that. Turk assaulted Jules, an old drunk man, while putting Jules in jail for peeing on him. Walt simply lost his control and assaulted Turk. While his actions are ironic, I had trouble feeling any sympathy for Turk. But Ruby was furious with Walt and even threatened to quit because she was disgusted with his behavior. And Walt was embarrassed for it. Me, I was cheering for him!
I love Walt, but I often have a special affinity for the supporting character in a duo-type story. I'm very fond of Henry in this book. He is an incredibly rich character. His sarcastic humor is phenomenal. I was almost in tears laughing at various parts in this novel, and they usually involved something Henry was saying. And Henry often ends up being the sarcastic voice of reason when Walt starts getting carried away.
All the characters in this novel are fascinating: Vic, Lucien, Omar, Jules, Ruby, George, Vonnie, Dena, Melissa and Lonnie Little Bird...yes, it is so. Johnson has a knack for breathing realism into his characters and bringing them to life for the reader. Their interactions with each other add a whole additional level of complexity to the novel. In and of themselves they would each be great characters but the relationships between them make them extraordinary characters.
But characterization isn't his only skill. Absaroka County is a tiny little place in Wyoming where very little out of the ordinary happens. This fact is reinforced when Vic is giving her crime updates to Walt at various times throughout the novel.
The element I enjoyed the most was the intertwining of the Cheyenne Indian culture. I've always been fascinated by mythologies. So, I thought Chapter 12 was beyond brilliant. It was moving and it carried a completely different tone than the rest of the novel. There was obvious and utter respect emanating from this chapter.
I was entranced for the entire chapter, more accurately the remainder of the book. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think. I loved it. I just simply can't say enough wonderful things to do this book justice. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend you do so.
The Cold Dish is the first book in an excellent mystery series set in beautiful, isolated Bighorn Mountain Country in Wyoming. There is tension in the air between the white population and the Native American community following the assault by four white teens on a young Native American girl with fetal alcohol syndrome. The sheriff, Walt Longmire, is nearing retirement; life has slowed down and deteriorated since his wife passed away. When a revenge killing takes the life of one of the arrested teens, the community is filled with mistrust. The sheriff's closest friend is a Native American. It is this relationship that is so unique and powerful. It shapes the dialogue, illustrates life on a modern reservation, provides glimpses into their culture and history, and more. The clues come slowly, but once the killer is revealed, you realize how adeptly the author inserted clues along the way. This is also the series that the A&E Channel developed for the TV series "Longmire." Excellent book and DVD series.
I started this because I am a fan of the show. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many details of this story being very different from the tv series. The writing of Walt was great and I loved the other characters as well. Henry is my favorite and was in the show as well. Fun mystery with humor and action mixed in. The book does tend to make stereotypes with its Native American characters at times. I hope that changes as the series goes on.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
This is a solid start to the Longmire series, with a gritty, engaging mystery and a cast of characters that you can’t help but want to know more about. The plot kept me hooked, though at times it felt a bit slow or predictable. Still, it’s a fun read for fans of crime fiction with a Western twist.